Pacers Win Two in Hoops, Men Set School Record

News 12 @ 11 Sunday March 2, 2008MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.— Using a 22-4 run to open the half and getting 15 second-half points from Cordaryl Ballard, visiting #5 USC Aiken (25-2, 19-1 PBC) built a 17-point lead and held off an inspired Georgia College and State (19-8, 13-7 PBC) squad 72-67 Sunday afternoon at the Centennial Center. The 2007-08 Peach Belt Conference champions closed out their regular season with their school-record 25th victory.

The 25 wins break the previous school record set by the 1980-81 team that finished 24-11. USC Aiken also extends their school records for consecutive wins (12), consecutive PBC wins (12), and Peach Belt wins in a season (19).

The opening 20 minutes was a half of runs that saw GCSU lead by as many as 12 points before USC Aiken rallied late. Buckets by Brian Egwuatu and Ballard gave the Pacers an early 4-0 lead, but the Bobcats responded with 11 unanswered points.

After five-straight from USCA, another GCSU spurt, this one 8-0, extended the Bobcat lead to double figures at 19-9 with 12:46 left. After leading by as many as 12, GCSU still held a 25-14 lead with 8:12 on the clock.

Senior Avonte Williams led five Lady Pacers in double figures as USC Aiken (20-7, 13-7 PBC) rolled by Georgia College & State University (13-14, 8-12 PBC) 83-71 in women’s Peach Belt Conference basketball action on Sunday afternoon at the Centennial Center. With the victory, USC Aiken finished tied for first in the PBC standings, earning a share of the program’s third PBC Regular Season Championship, but first since 2001-02.

Sitting at 6-6 and in seventh place in the league standings following a 77-65 loss at Armstrong Atlantic State on February 2, the Lady Pacers kicked it into another gear. USC Aiken won eight of their final nine games, all by double figures, to finish 13-7 and in a five-way tie for first place. Despite the co-champions label, the Lady Pacers are still looking for respect in the NCAA regional poll, hoping to move up from 10th place.

It is the second-straight 20-win season for sixth-year head coach Mike Brandt, and the seventh in the program’s 32-year history.

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